Women farmers play a crucial role in South Asia’s agricultural sector and contribute significantly, despite facing numerous challenges. The intersection of climate change, gender, and health can have disproportionate
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Privatization of Water</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/nepal/private_water_hl.jpg" style="border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p>The World Bank initiated water sector reforms aim primarily at privatizing water utilities and commercializing water resources. The water privatization policy of the World Bank articulated in a 1992 paper entitled “Improving Water Resources Management” proceeds from the belief that water availability at low or no cost is uneconomical and inefficient.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Land Degradation</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="Land Degradation" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/srilanka/land_hl.jpg" /></p> <p>Land is the most vital and heavily threatened natural resource in Sri Lanka. Degradation of land due to soil erosion is of much concern because of its consequences on agriculture, which is a major contributor to the country's GDP. It is estimated that about 5-10 mm of topsoil is lost every year.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Coastal Erosion</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/srilanka/coastal_erosion_hl.jpg" style="width: 530px; height: 300px; border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p>Sri Lanka’s experience with coastal erosion dates back to 1920. Today coastal erosion is an acute problem, disrupting fishing navigation" recreation and many other coast-based activities.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Floods - Sri Lanka</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/srilanka/floods_hl.jpg" style="width: 530px; height: 300px; border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p>The principal reason for floods in the country lies in the very nature of her natural ecological systems- the monsoon. Sedimentation of river beds is not considered a major factor contributing t o flooding in Sri Lanka . However, due to land use changes in the watersheds, sediment loads could increase in the future.</p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:14px;">Agro-Chemical</span></strong></p> <p><img alt="Agro-chemical" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/srilanka/agrochemical_hl.jpg" style="border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p>The Government of Sri Lanka has introduced a number of policies and programs to increase paddy production since independence. The fertilizer subsidy program is one of the longest-lasting, most expensive, and most politically sensitive policies implemented to promote rice cultivation in Sri Lanka. It was initiated in 1962 (that is, at the onset of the Green Revolution) with the main objective of encouraging farmers to switch from traditional rice varieties to high-yielding varieties (HYVs) that are highly responsive to chemical fertilizers. Since then, however, the provision of the subsidy has become customary, and successive governments have been under tremendous pressure to continue the subsidy despite budgetary constraints.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Sethusamudram ship canal project</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/srilanka/sethusamudaram_hl.jpg" style="border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p><span class="bodytext">Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project started by the government of India has many adverse effects on Sri Lanka . It is already proved that both India and Sri Lanka will undergo massive environmental damage as a direct result of this project. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Lunawa Environmental Improvement & Community Development Project</strong></span></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/country/srilanka/lunawara_hl.jpg" style="border-width: 2px; border-style: solid;" /></p> <p>The Lunawa Environmental Improvement & Community Development Project (2003-10), was the first ‘test’ of Sri Lanka’s National Involuntary Resettlement Policy. Today it is touted as an innovative, pro-poor model for infrastructure projects in the developing world, especially relevant for the involuntary resettlement of people from densely populated urban areas.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><strong>Ship breaking</strong></span></p> <p><object height="398" width="530"><param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fsearch%2Fshow%2F%3Fq%3Dship%2Bbreaking%26w%3D40105063%2540N03&page_show_back_url=%2Fsearch%2F%3Fq%3Dship%2Bbreaking%26w%3D40105063%2540N03&method=flickr.photos.search&api_params_str=&api_text=ship+breaking&api_tag_mode=bool&api_user_id=40105063%40N03&api_safe_search=3&api_content_type=7&api_media=all&api_sort=relevance&jump_to=&start_index=0" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&lang=en-us&page_show_url=%2Fsearch%2Fshow%2F%3Fq%3Dship%2Bbreaking%26w%3D40105063%2540N03&page_show_back_url=%2Fsearch%2F%3Fq%3Dship%2Bbreaking%26w%3D40105063%2540N03&method=flickr.photos.search&api_params_str=&api_text=ship+breaking&api_tag_mode=bool&api_user_id=40105063%40N03&api_safe_search=3&api_content_type=7&api_media=all&api_sort=relevance&jump_to=&start_index=0" height="398" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=109615" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="530"></embed></object></p> <p>Until the 1960s, ship breaking was considered a highly mechanized operation, concentrated in industrialized countries, mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. Over the years it has gravitated toward countries with low labor costs, weak regulations on occupational safety, and limited environmental enforcement. Currently, the global center of the ship breaking and recycling industry is located in South Asia, specifically Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. These three countries account for 70–80 percent of the international market for ship breaking of ocean-going vessels.</p>
